The big picture
Isaiah 7 opens in verse 1 with “And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 13 with “And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men…”, and closes in verse 25 with “And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, king, Ephraim, head, Syria. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Isaiah · King James Version · 25Isaiah 7:1-7
1–7: It came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of…
Isaiah 7:1–7 opens with “And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah…” and reaches “Thus saith the Lord GOD , It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah and Shear-jashub meeting fearful Ahaz by the conduit as enemies threaten Jerusalem, with particular weight carried by king, Syria, Remaliah.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart…” Naming David and Ephraim keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit…” Naming Ahaz and Isaiah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Isaiah 7:1-7
King James Version1And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
2And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
3Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;
4And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
5Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
6Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:
7Thus saith the Lord GOD , It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
Isaiah 7:8-14
8–14: For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin…
Isaiah 7:8–14 opens with “For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and…” and reaches “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah and Shear-jashub meeting fearful Ahaz by the conduit as enemies threaten Jerusalem, with particular weight carried by head, LORD, Ahaz.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
Isaiah 7:8-14
King James Version8For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
9And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
10Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
11Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
12But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD .
13And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:15-21
15–21: Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and…
Isaiah 7:15–21 opens with “Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” and reaches “And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah and Shear-jashub meeting fearful Ahaz by the conduit as enemies threaten Jerusalem, with particular weight carried by Assyria, LORD, choose.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Isaiah 7:15-21
King James Version15Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
16For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
17The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
18And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.
20In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
21And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;
Isaiah 7:22-25
22–25: It shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he…
Isaiah 7:22–25 opens with “And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter…” and reaches “And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah and Shear-jashub meeting fearful Ahaz by the conduit as enemies threaten Jerusalem, with particular weight carried by briers, thorns, butter.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Isaiah 7:22-25
King James Version22And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.
23And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.
24With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
25And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Isaiah 7:1 begins with “And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah…”
Where the chapter turns
Isaiah 7:13 forms a natural hinge: “And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?”
The final note
Isaiah 7:25 leaves the reader with “And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, king, Ephraim, head, Syria, Ahaz help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What links this event with creation?
Waters overwhelm the inhabited world, reversing the separations that made life possible.
What details show continuity rather than total abandonment?
The named household and preserved kinds of living creatures survive within the ark.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.